Though None Can Ever Follow
by shadowblade-tara
Summary: Hiccup has always been a little different. He just didn't know how much until he met Toothless. If his secret comes out, his village may just kill him, and that's assuming the other tribes don't get him first. After all, no one else can understand the dragons quite like Hiccup can.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This will be AU for after the first movie. So if you haven't seen the second yet, don't worry – no spoilers, although I will be taking some plot points from the TV series.

Also, this is my first time writing for this fandom, but not my first foray into dragons. This is gonna be so much fun.

**ch 1**

There is something _off_ about Hiccup.

It goes beyond the usual – of course he's a stick among Vikings, of course he'd rather read or draw than fight. Of course he's always been different. This is more than strange, though.

It's in the way _all_ dragons seem to listen to him, not just Toothless. It's there in the confidence he has around them, something he sorely lacks when he's with the villagers. He tames dragons that no one else can touch (although let's be honest – he's the only one willing to try except for Snotlout), and even though the dragons have their respective riders, he's the only one they _always_ listen to, the only one who can get right up next to them when they're at their wildest.

He's just better than everyone at it, and for someone who has never been good at anything, it's strange.

The shouts probably echo all throughout Berk. The argument isn't a new one. Toothless hunches down by the door, eyes narrowed, watching as Stoick and Hiccup go at it. It doesn't take long for the boy's pleading words to be drowned out by his father's booming voice. That happens frequently during their arguments, the dragon has noticed. Stoick doesn't necessarily win by virtue of being right. He's just so loud he can't hear his own son.

As usual, Toothless is the topic of the argument. Only the dragon can push Hiccup beyond frustrated and into a fury.

Just as Stoick's hands clench into fists, Hiccup breaks. He turns and flees the house, the door slamming behind him only to be knocked open again by Toothless bounding after him. For a moment, the dragon just runs beside him (well, Toothless isn't really _running_; Hiccup isn't that fast), then he huffs in frustration and grabs the boy by the back of his shirt and _really_ starts running. Hiccup just curls up into a ball and lets the dragon carry him into the woods, farther and faster than he could possibly get on his own.

It'll take longer for Stoick to find them this way.

Toothless just stands there, Hiccup dangling from his mouth, waiting for the boy to speak. The forest is silent, the kind that usually falls when a deadly predator is in the area. It's the kind of silence that makes good Vikings take notice, but Hiccup is not bothered by it. After all, the deadly predator is his best friend.

He goes limp. "You can put me down now." he says softly. Toothless does so, gently setting the boy on the ground. Hiccup lets himself fall into a sitting position, and Toothless curls around him, cooing softly. Hiccup leans against his shoulder, head down, fighting back the tears. The dragon nudges him with his snout.

_He's right, you know._

Hiccup shakes his head viciously. "He's not."

_He is._ Toothless says softly. _He has seen nothing to prove otherwise._

"I've tried, bud." the boy whispers. "I've tried, but not even _Astrid_ believes me. How am I supposed to explain it to them if they can't hear what I can?" He closes his eyes. Toothless watches him for a moment, considering.

_You could always show them._

"No."

_See, that attitude isn't going to help anything._

"No." Hiccup glares at him. It probably loses something with tear-stained eyes, but at least Toothless doesn't laugh at the sight. "I'm not going to expose you like that."

Toothless snorts. _Expose me?_

"Haven't you noticed? Anytime Dad thinks there's something wrong with me, if it's related to dragons, he takes it out on you." The boy looks away. "I won't let that happen. Besides, it's not just Dad. You know exactly how competitive Snotlout is. We may be on good terms now, but – there's a reason I'm wary of him, okay? So no."

Toothless huffs a sigh. _You don't have to be scared anymore._

"Old habits die hard."

_Well, that habit should be dead and buried right now._ Toothless points out. _You have me. You have all of the dragons on Berk. We're not going to let you face anything alone._ He nudges the boy again and stands up. _Come on. You don't want Astrid seeing you like this._

Hiccup nods and wipes at his face. Toothless leans down and gently licks the tears away. Hiccup tolerates the extra attention. When his face is dry (sort of), they make the trek back to the village. This time, Toothless lets Hiccup set the pace. There is no real hurry, after all.

By the time they make it back to the house, the other dragon riders have gathered in the square. Stoick stands by the door, arms crossed over his chest, ready to continue the argument. The others watch, waiting to see what all the fuss was about.

Hiccup leans against Toothless's neck. He barely glances at the others, keeping his eyes entirely on his father.

"Either Toothless sleeps inside, or I sleep outside." he says flatly. "That's how it's gonna be."

Dragons haven't been on Berk for very long. Maybe six months. That's not a long time for Vikings. Hiccup is still getting used to his new leg, the adults still flinch and cry out when dragons go flying over the village, and Stoick, while showing Hiccup some understanding during and after the battle with the dragon queen, has slipped right back into his usual habits when it comes to dealing with Hiccup.

All of this means one thing – the dragons sleep outdoors. Even Stormfly, who shares a bond with Astrid that might compare to the one Toothless has with Hiccup, sleeps in the woods just outside of her human's house. Toothless is the only dragon who insists on sleeping indoors, near Hiccup.

And Stoick _hates it._ He let the dragon get away with it before, because Hiccup was hurt and maybe dying and the dragon would snap at anyone who got too close. Including Stoick. The chief glares at his son. "You wouldn't dare."

Hiccup lifts his chin. "Try me."

Beside him, Toothless shifts his stance, pulling the boy closer to him. Finally, Stoick just throws up his arms and walks away, growling under his breath about stubborn children. Hiccup grins. "That would be a yes."

Behind him, Stormfly sighs. _That's an awful lot of fuss over sleeping arrangements._ she observes.

Toothless huffs. _It's the principle of the matter._

Astrid, oblivious to the conversation, approaches Hiccup. "That's what this is about? You getting your pet dragon permission to sleep inside?" She sounds like she's three seconds away from punching him and actually meaning it this time. When she uses this tone, Hiccup usually backs down quickly and makes up some sort of lie that might placate her.

But Hiccup is too angry to bother this time.

"He's not my pet." he says darkly. "He's my best friend, and he sleeps with me." He turns and beckons Toothless to follow him, flashing a smile at Stormfly as they pass. "Come on, bud. Let's go find some bedding for you. That floor cannot be comfortable."

Snotlout just grunts. "Eh, he's always been weird. Why should this be any different?"

Astrid nods, but she still can't shake the feeling that there's more to this than she can see.

/-/

AN: Crappy set up chapter is done! (Finally) So drop me a line and let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Holy crap guys, 12 reviews on one chapter in one day? It's been a long time since I've gotten that kind of response. You guys are epic!

For future reference, if you see italics like _this_, that's emphasis.

Italics like _'this'_ is dragon speak. I hope that clears a few things up for my guest reviewer. If not, please review again and let me know what I can do to make things clearer. I'm not sure I understood your request very well.

**ch 2**

Hiccup remembers the first time he ever heard Toothless talk to him, and knew what it was.

For his entire life, he's heard strange voices during the dragon raids. Snippets of conversations in voices he doesn't recognize about things that don't make sense – unless the dragons were speaking to each other. Hiccup made it a point not to listen. He's strange enough as it is. Even as a child, he understood what being connected to the dragons in any way meant. So he didn't listen.

When he found Toothless, the dragon never spoke. Hiccup learned to read his body language, learned to communicate in kind, and that seemed to work well for them. In fact, he never thought about the strange voices as he worked to get the dragon back into the skies. It wasn't until during the fight with the queen that he heard it again – and this time, he knew.

'_You traitor! I will kill you both!'_

'_Try it! I don't live under your command!'_

And Hiccup knew.

The next thing he remembers after the queen is waking up – or at least, trying to – in his bed, struggling to regain consciousness, and hearing Toothless curled up beside him, head resting at the boy's side, talking quietly to him.

The first words the dragon ever spoke directly to him, and he was pleading for the boy's life.

'_Come on, hatchling, you have to wake up. I just found you – I can't lose you so soon.'_

Hiccup shakes his head to clear away the thoughts. Astrid sits down next to him, watching as Stormfly and Toothless play in the surf. She glances at him. "That was a pretty epic fight earlier." she muses. Hiccup just shrugs. He doesn't feel like getting punched today. Actually, with the mood Toothless has been in all day, he might just attack her if she did. Astrid frowns. "So why is this so important?"

"He isn't my pet." he says softly. She snorts.

"Yeah, I know. Best friend and all that. But you got other friends now, _human_ friends." She turns her attention fully on him. "Friends that your dad will actually approve of."

Hiccup gives her a dirty look. "Are you referring to Snotlout, who has used me as a punching back since I was five; the twins, who would team up against me and trap me places so Snotlout could punch me as he pleased; or maybe Fishlegs, who hid in his books and did nothing but stay out of the way?" He returns his attention to the dragons. "Or you, who never knew I existed until the day I found Toothless?"

Astrid winces. "That's harsh, you know."

"That's the truth." he retorts. "You want me to give up Toothless, who accepted me when no one else would, who _never _ hurt me, for _them_?" He pulls his knees up to his chest and hugs them there. He's just grateful Toothless hasn't picked up on the conversation. The dragon doesn't like it when others upset his hatchling. "I can't do that, Astrid."

"Look, I know we've screwed up, but maybe – "

"Not yet." Hiccup overrides her. "It hasn't been that long. It's not long enough for the villagers to accept the dragons, it's not long enough for my dad to stop hoping I'll suddenly turn into a proper Viking, and it's not long enough for me to forgive anyone." He rests his chin on his knees. "Maybe one day. But not yet."

Astrid nods. "I suppose that's fair." She returns her attention to the dragons. "I wonder what they think about when they play?"

Hiccup snorts. "They have a bet going to see how long Toothless can evade Stormfly. Loser has to clean the winner's scales tonight. Salt water is gonna itch like crazy when it dries." That much he's picked up from the random bits he can hear over the waves.

Astrid laughs. "You always were the more creative of us."

Hiccup bites his lip but says nothing. She can't hear what he can. She can't hear Stormfly yelling curses as she tries to catch Toothless, or Toothless laughing and taunting her, keeping her in the game. Astrid can't hear any of it, and for the life of him, Hiccup can't figure out _why._

Why can he hear the dragons when no one else can?

It's not because the dragons only talk to him. He knows Meatlug talks to Fishlegs all the time, desperately trying to get her favored human to respond to her. He's heard Hookfang curse at Snotlout when the boy tries to force him to do something he doesn't want to do. Only Stormfly seems to be content with things, but then again, she always winds up talking to Hiccup.

So what makes Hiccup so special?

Astrid calls Stormfly to her, and the two leave, waving good-bye to Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup leans against the dragon's side.

"So, is she gonna be washing your scales?" he asks.

Toothless snorts. _'Nope. That's your job.'_ He leans down and licks Hiccup's cheek. _'I heard you two talking.'_

Hiccup sighs. "This can only end one of two ways."

The dragon ignores the sarcasm. _'What did that Snot-kid do to you?'_

The boy doesn't respond at first. He just closes his eyes and lets his body go limp against his dragon's while the sun sinks into a blood-stained sea. "Toothless, for the sake of _not_ starting another war, don't ask me that."

He feels the scaly body tense. _'That does nothing to reassure me.'_

"Yeah, well, neither does that."

From further up the beach, Astrid and Stormfly watch the two. Astrid's eyes narrow. "Sometimes, I'd swear he's actually talking with him. Like Toothless is _responding_ to him."

Stormfly snorts. _'Of course he is. We're not animals.'_

But of course, Astrid doesn't hear her.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Enough set up. Now, some plot!

**ch 3**

Of course, word gets out pretty quick that Berk no longer fights dragons. The other tribes grow curious. They want to find out what happened to change Stoick's mind. So the chief agrees to a meeting of the tribes, a large gathering where all the tribes send five representatives (including their chiefs) to Berk to see the situation for themselves.

A week after winning the whole sleeping arrangements argument, the first of the ships come in.

For once, the riders are not with their dragons. Stoick ordered the dragons out of sight, at least until all the tribes arrive. The riders are down at the docks, greeting old friends and meeting new ones and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Technically speaking, this is where Hiccup should be. He is the son of the chief. He should be at the docks with his father, greeting the dignitaries and securing alliances.

It should come as no surprise then that he's actually on the cliffs, watching the ships come in, and surrounded by dragons. Toothless, who even under the best of conditions does not like being separated from his hatchling, stands protectively over him while he sits on the cliff edge, feet dangling in the air. Toothless keeps half his attention on Hiccup, the other half on the arriving ships.

'_They scare you.'_ he observes.

Hiccup snorts. "They always have. Never saw them often enough to get used to them, and most of them are rougher than the twins." Behind him, Barf and Belch chuckle. He ignores them. "They come by just often enough for us all to remember them, but not often enough that I know anything about them. This could end in disaster for all I know."

Somewhere to his left, Hookfang lets out a choking laugh. _'We're dragons, hatchling. Survival is what we do. You don't have to worry about us.'_

That thought makes Hiccup smile. Hookfang sounds just as arrogant as Snotlout can (although not quite as irritating). No wonder the two get along so well. "Well, I'm going to anyway." he tells the Nightmare. "Someone has to look after you guys."

Meatlug hums. _'Someone should probably be looking after you.'_ she points out. _'Your flight doesn't seem to take your safety seriously.'_

Stormfly makes a snorting sound. _'Humans do things differently.'_ she says. _'You've seen the children in battle before. You know what they make them do in the kill ring. Safety is not their concern.'_

'_But he's not a child!'_ Meatlug protests. _'He's a hatchling! He should be treated like one, right?'_

Hiccup wants to protest that. He wants to say that things are different now, that the Vikings don't use the kill ring anymore, but honestly, he doesn't know how long that will last. With the new tribes arriving, there's no telling who is going to influence who here.

He's also given up on trying to convince them that he is inherently not a hatchling. It's quite clear he was born human, but then Toothless called him _hatchling_ one day, and the others have picked up on it. Now he rarely hears his name from them. He's always _the hatchling_. It doesn't really matter though – he likes the name. It's better than being Hiccup the Useless.

Thankfully, Barf and Belch interrupt the conversation. _'We have a bigger problem.'_ they say. Zippleback heads always speak as if they are one. _'What do we do if the human alpha changes his mind about us?'_

That gets everyone's attention. Toothless looks down, studying the top of Hiccup's head. _'Then we leave.' _ he says quietly. _'And we take whoever wants to come with us.'_

Hiccup likes that. He knows he's included in that _we_, and the dragons take it for granted that he is. Toothless has declared him a hatchling, and a hatchling he is. They don't know that Hiccup has never known that kind of unconditional acceptance before. They don't realize what that means to him.

They don't realize what he'll do to protect that.

Instead, he sighs and stands up. "Well, I suppose I've made Dad wait long enough." he says. "I should head down to the docks."

Toothless narrows his eyes. _'You don't have to.'_

"Unfortunately, I do. Or there's just going to be another screaming contest tonight." Hiccup sighs. "As it stands, I'm only gonna get a lecture." He reaches out and places a hand on Toothless's snout. "See you tonight?"

The dragon huffs. _'Of course.'_ Hiccup smiles at him and heads down the path back to the beach, limping slightly. Toothless frowns as he watches him go. Some days are harder than others. Already the Night Fury knows that Hiccup will be abandoning his bed and seeking the dragon's warmth for comfort. It seems to help the aches in his leg.

For the first time, Stormfly speaks up. _'You worry too much. His sire will protect him.'_

Toothless snorts. _'I don't trust his sire.'_

Stormfly gives him a pointed look. _'Then go down there and protect him yourself, you silly dragon.'_

The Night Fury doesn't need any more prodding. He jumps from the cliff and glides down to the sands below before taking off to catch up with his hatchling.

Hookfang huffs. _'Stubborn dragon. Doesn't he realize the hatchling wants his protection as much as he wants to give it?'_

/-/

Down on the beach, Hiccup almost avoids his father's notice. Almost.

"Where have you been?" Stoick growls at him. Hiccup shrugs, never taking his eyes from the influx of new Vikings.

"On the cliffs." he says.

"With the dragons, no doubt."

Hiccup flinches at the acid in his father's voice. He can't respond in the face of that. No matter how many times Toothless tells him _don't be afraid_, Hiccup can honestly say he is scared of his father. To be more accurate, he's scared of his father's anger. He knows instinctively that anger is not directed at him this time – Stoick hates having other Viking tribes on his island under the best of circumstances – but once too often of being in the wrong place at the wrong time has taught Hiccup that doesn't matter. He can just as easily become the target of Stoick's anger.

Stoick has never hurt the boy. At least, not physically. Still, all small creatures fear all creatures bigger than them, especially when they're angry.

The chief glances down at him, and gentles his voice. "I'm sorry, son. It's just – "

"I know." Hiccup says quietly. "Too soon and too much."

"Exactly." He reaches down and places a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Are the dragons behaving themselves?"

"Well, the others are." Hiccup says, glad to be back on a subject he can say with certainty he's an expert on. "Knowing Toothless, he's probably hiding in the shadows somewhere keeping an eye on me."

Stoick lets out a sound that might be a chuckle. "Well then, let's hope no one makes any threatening moves towards you."

Hiccup honestly laughs at that. "Non-threatening Vikings? Yeah right."

Together, the two of them greet the ships for the rest of the afternoon, Toothless a silent shadow at their backs.


	4. Chapter 4

**ch 4**

"We're going to have problems with Dagur." Hiccup says. He and Stoick sit in front of the fire, Toothless curled up behind Hiccup and purring contentedly. "How he wound up leader of the Berserker tribe is beyond me."

"Knowing the crazy fool, he probably killed anyone who challenged him." Stoick mutters darkly. He glances over at Toothless. "Listen, Hiccup – about the dragons."

Hiccup stiffens. Conversations that start this way have never ended well. Toothless gently nudges him. _'Don't be afraid.'_ the dragon murmurs. Hiccup nods and forces himself to look up at Stoick. For once, the chief doesn't look angry or cold. He looks from son to dragon, and his face softens.

"How intelligent are they?"

Hiccup blinks. That wasn't a question he was expecting. "Very."

Stoick nods. "Does he understand us?"

Hiccup returns the nod. "They all do."

"Hm. That explains the sleeping arrangements."

Toothless snorts. _'Only pets sleep outside.'_ he mutters darkly. _'I am not a pet.'_ Hiccup just smiles as the dragon's irritation. Stoick continues, and Hiccup's attention snaps back to his father.

"Listen, Hiccup – I'm just an old Viking. I don't change easily, but I promise I'll try." Stoick takes a deep breath. "No one except me is deciding whether or not dragons have a place on Berk. Not the Berserkers, not anyone. That is my decision, and mine alone."

Hiccup nods. "Thanks, Dad."

Stoick grunts. "And you – Toothless." The Night Fury looks up at him. "It's my job to keep these idiots from killin' each other while they're on my island." Toothless snorts to show understanding. Stoick nods. "But if anyone tries ta hurt Hiccup, you got my permission to do whatever it takes to make them regret it."

Toothless bares his teeth in a dragon grin. It's very different from the gum smile he gives Hiccup when he's happy. This smile is almost terrifying. _'With pleasure.'_

Hiccup calmly places his face in his hand. "I can take care of myself, you know."

Toothless nudges him. _'I'm sure you can, walking target.'_

Hiccup can't help but laugh at that, even if it leaves Stoick looking at him like he's lost his mind.

/-/

Another few days, and Stoick stands at the docks, welcoming the last ship. This one, instead of flying a Viking flag, has an intricate tapestry hanging from its mast, green with gold knot work decorating the center, and Stoick groans. At his side, Hiccup blinks.

"Who are they?"

"The Celts." Stoick mutters. "I should have known."

Hiccup blinks. "The Celts? Never heard of them."

Stoick shrugs. "All I know is, they're from an island close to the mainland, and they've always been trying to get the closer tribes to stop fighting the dragons." he says. "I'm not surprised they found their way here."

"The mainland is pretty far away." Hiccup says doubtfully. "How did they get word that fast?"

Beside him, Toothless watches the ship with interest. _'I've heard about the Celts.'_ he says quietly. _'Their respect for dragons is almost mythical. A lot of us think it's a trap of some sorts, but the dragons that live in their land have never complained.'_ Hiccup nods.

Stoick responds, never glancing at Toothless. "Probably a trading vessel." He takes a step forward as the Celts step off the ship. Hiccup frowns.

"Why would a trading vessel be out here?" he murmurs. "It doesn't look like we'd have anything they'd want." The group steps off the boat – a tall, red-headed woman with bright green eyes and four smiliarly-colored shorter men – and Stoick greets them. Hiccup watches from a safe distance, Toothless hidden in the shadows beside him. The dragon nudges him with his nose.

'_Hiccup – the second one on the right. Around his neck.'_

Hiccup looks. The sight turns his stomach. It's not uncommon for warriors to create jewelry using the parts of their kills. The sight of dragon-made trophies still makes the boy sick. This man wears a necklace made of dragon scales and teeth. They shimmer in the dim light. Hiccup takes a step forward, automatically sheltering Toothless with his body

"Whoever she is, that one is a slayer." he mutters.

Toothless hisses. _'Yes, he is. Now will you please – '_

Stoick's voice cuts them off. "Hiccup, now that everyone has gathered, the other tribes would like a demonstration tomorrow morning."

Hiccup feels sick. "What kind of demonstration?"

"They want to know the dragons are tamed." the chief says. "So it'll be up to you and Astrid to show off – especially you. If a Night Fury can be tamed, any of them can." Toothless growls lightly. "Ah, stuff it, devil. I know you can fake it."

Hiccup blinks. The urge to laugh is almost overwhelming. "When did you learn to read Toothless so well?"

Stoick grins sheepishly. "I made a guess."

Now Hiccup is laughing, the sound shaking his body. "Well, you guessed right." he chuckles. "Could have fooled me."

Despite himself, Stoick chuckles. "Go on, get back to the house. I got to get the Celts settled in."

Hiccup and Toothless turn to leave, but not before Hiccup notices the strange woman's eyes on him. There's something there, a _hunger_ Hiccup doesn't like. It sends shivers down his spine.

As they walk away, the woman nods to herself. That boy is the key to everything. She knows it.

/-/

AN: Well, I did have this chapter finished last night, then my computer crashed and I had to retype it. Oh well. Let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

**ch 5**

By the time Hiccup makes it to the Great Hall the next morning, he can already tell there's going to be trouble. Dagur and Snotlout are sitting together like old friends, talking and laughing, and the other riders are sitting nearby. The first thing Hiccup notices is Hookfang and Stormfly sitting just outside the Hall. Dragons still aren't allowed inside, and normally they find other things to do while their humans are occupied, but this time they stay close. Hiccup pauses.

"What's wrong?" he asks quietly.

Hookfang snorts. _'That boy is trouble. Be careful, hatchling.'_

Hiccup merely nods and walks inside. Toothless hangs back at the door, unwilling to let Hiccup out of his sight for long. Hiccup takes his place at the table beside Astrid. She smiles and nods to him. He nods in return, unable to meet her smile. The dragons are uneasy with the newcomers, and Hiccup can't figure out if that's because of him. Hiccup has never gotten along with the Vikings of his own tribe, let alone the others, and the dragons are fiercely protective of the boy who helped stop the war.

Before he can greet the others, Dagur opens his mouth.

"Well, if it isn't Stoick's little runt." he taunts. "Tell me, is it true you tamed a Night Fury?"

Hiccup really wants to laugh at that. In the beginning, that's exactly what he thought he was doing. "No." he says flatly. "He's my friend."

Dagur makes a face. "Friends? With a dragon? They're just animals."

"Hardly." Hiccup takes a sip of his drink and turns to Astrid. "Dad wants us to do our demonstration at noon. I just came by to tell you that." With that he picks up his cup and turns to leave the hall. Dagur is quick to follow him. Hiccup sighs. "Go away, Dagur. You can ask me all the questions you want later."

Dagur doesn't know how to take a hint, even with Toothless watching from the door. Hiccup wonders if he's the only one who can tell he's growling. His eyes are narrowed, his lips pulled back, and he is decidedly not living up to his name. Toxic green eyes track both boys across the Great Hall. Hiccup decides it's for the best if he leaves now. Dagur grabs his shoulder.

"I want to know how you did it." he growls. "How does a failure of a Viking tame a _Night Fury_ of all things?"

Hiccup doesn't flinch. If he flinches, Toothless will come inside in the most dramatic and violent way possible, and that just won't end well for anyone. Instead, he looks Dagur dead in the eye as he speaks. "I did it because I'm _not_ a Viking." His voice is quiet. "Let me go."

Dagur grins and releases his arm. "Fine, runt. But I will get my answers." He turns and walks away, reclaiming his spot next to Snotlout. It's all Hiccup can do not to run back to Toothless and the others, back to _safety_. Instead he walks as calmly as he can, struggling not to betray his fear. As soon as he crosses the threshold, Toothless pushes his head under his arm and nudges him.

'_Get on.'_

Hiccup shakes his head. "Dad said no flying until the demonstration."

Toothless snorts. _'I don't care. Get on.'_

Hiccup does as he's told. In minutes the two of them are in the sky and far away from Berk, far away from the Vikings that scare the human hatchling. In the safety of the sky, Hiccup finally allows himself to shake. "Thanks, bud."

'_You're my hatchling.'_ Toothless points out. _'I can't ignore your fear.'_

"I shouldn't be scared of him." Hiccup says quietly. "There's nothing he can do to me that hasn't already been done."

Toothless files that bit of information away for later. He wishes he could speak to someone other than Hiccup, that there was someone out there who could tell him what exactly his hatchling has been through. Hiccup will not give him specifics, but Toothless has seen the scars. If this boy is one of his tormentors, Toothless will make damn sure he pays. In the meantime, there are other things to figure out.

'_Then why are you afraid?'_

"I know what he can do to you." the boy admits. "I know what he can do to all the dragons. I can't – " He looks away, his hands shaking. "I can't _stand_ the thought of him hurting you."

There is nothing Toothless can say in the face of that. He just keeps flying until he feels the tremors leave the boy's body.

Just in time for the demonstration.

/-/

Astrid leans against Stormfly's side. "I don't know why he's so nervous." she says to the dragon. "I mean, it's not like Stoick is gonna let anything happen to him or Toothless."

Stormfly just sits there and tolerates the attention. _'Yes. His own sire cares enough about him that he feels safer in the presence of the most terrifying dragon alive.'_ she comments. _'The hatchling has every right to be afraid.'_

Hiccup and Toothless walk up beside her. The dragons greet each other with growls and nips while Hiccup tucks his hands into his sleeves, pulling on the fabric. He won't quite meet her gaze. "I feel like I'm about to face Hookfang all over again." he admits.

Astrid shakes her head. "This is different." she says. "It's just showing off this time."

Hiccup nods. He wants to believe her. He still can't shake the fear. Whatever the tribes decide, Dagur is still a problem – and he still doesn't know what the Celts want. He doesn't trust them. "I hope you're right."

She crosses her arms over her chest. "I know I am."

Hiccup turns his attention to the dragons behind him. They aren't speaking, but he can read their body language better than a human's. He knows they're just as nervous as he is. They feel it as well, that sense that no matter how smoothly things go today, the worst is just around the corner. Hiccup didn't think things could get any worse than the constant raids, but he also knows what Viking are capable of. He knows what they will do to remove a threat, real or imagined.

He just hopes they listen to him this time. Last time he had to lose a leg to get their attention.

Stoick's voice announces them, and together the teens mount their dragons. Hiccup settles into his spot in between the Night Fury's shoulders, his metal foot sliding into the pedal like it's second nature. Toothless doesn't even have to adjust to the slight weight on his back anymore. He feels vulnerable without the saddle and false fin, feels unbalanced without Hiccup by his side. The small human has become as much a part of him as his own blood.

Then the cue comes, and they launch into the sky.

/-/

By the time the aerial acrobatics are over, Stoick knows he's won at least half the tribes. They watch the two children with amazement, whispering to each other plans to tame their own dragons. He scans the crowd, searching for anyone who might need more persuasion.

He finds them in Dagur and the Celt woman. Dagur watches Toothless with a hunger in his eyes that Stoick doesn't trust. The Berserker tribe has never been keen on the idea of peace. Stoick just worries what Hiccup will do if Dagur tries to take Toothless.

The Celt has her gaze fixed on Hiccup, a small smile on her face. She doesn't appear to be threatening, but she's taking an awful lot of interest in his son, and that makes him nervous.

Stoick just files that information away for later. At least now he has an idea of what he's up against. He promised Hiccup that _he_ would be the one to decide the fate of the dragons. He means to keep that promise.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I am so sorry for the long update time! I hit a writer's block with just about everything, and then I couldn't remember what I was doing with this story. So I went back and re-read everything, and now I think I remember. So here's the next chapter, and hopefully everything smooths itself out here.

**ch 6**

In the guest huts, the Celts meet long after the others have gone to sleep. The woman, Raelynn, leans against the window, staring out at the remains of the kill ring. Her guard, Lance, is the only other one awake. He leans against the opposite wall, sharpening his sword, his dragon-claw necklace glinting in the dim light of the lantern. Raelynn smiles at the night sky. "Did you see it?"

Lance grunts. "I saw a boy trying to be a man." he mutters darkly. "I don't know why he's so special."

"You weren't looking hard enough."

"Or maybe you were looking too hard." Lance finally looks up from his sword. "The child you are looking for would never _tame_ a dragon. He would become one. The idea of _taming _would repulse him." He returns his attention to his sword. "Whoever this Hiccup is, he's not what we need."

Raelynn just shakes her head. "I don't believe so. It's only been, what, six months since we got word the battles had stopped? People don't change that fast, Lance. If you wanted to hide the fact that you befriended a dragon, wouldn't it make sense to call it taming?"

Lance just snorts. "I still think he's just a stick."

"People used to say the same thing about me, you know." she says mildly. "I was small, weak, and no one believed that I would amount to anything. Now look at me."

He barely glances at her as he runs the whetstone over his blade. "Let's say he is dragonkin. What use would a sorceress like you have with something like him?"

Raelynn turns and smiles at him. "Oh, there are a great many uses for a human born with a dragon's soul, my dear." she says softly. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Lance nods and sets aside the sword. "I suppose so, Rae. I just hope you know what you're doing."

"He is still just a child. He can't stop me."

"I don't know about that. Honestly, there's not much we know about dragonkin, or the lengths they'll go to protect their adopted families. Sure, Hiccup seems attached enough to his father, but if he is what you think he is, then he'll be even more attached to the Night Fury. What do you think he'll do if he figures out why we're here?"

Raelynn smiles. "He'll kill me." she replies. "If he's any kind of dragonkin, once he realizes, he'll tear my throat out, and there will be no force that can stop him."

"So why challenge that?"

"Because I need him." Raelynn returns to staring out the window. "Nothing else has worked. It has to be him and the Night Fury." Her hand goes to the charm she wears around her throat. It's a single dragon scale hanging from a silver chain. "I don't have very long. _They_ don't have very long."

Lance just sighs. "I know, Rae."

/-/

That night, Hiccup and Toothless sleep in the caves of the ruined kill ring with the other dragons, sheltered from the bitter cold. Hiccup curls up against Toothless's side, prosthetic off for a change, eyes half-closed as he listens to the other dragons talk. Mostly it's mindless chit-chat, so he focuses his attention on Toothless and Hookfang.

'_I saw the demonstration.'_ Hookfang says. _'Think you portrayed a convincing __**tamed**__ dragon?'_

'_I hope not.'_ Toothless grumbles good-naturedly. _'Whatever they need to think to make themselves feel safe.'_

There's a pause. Suddenly, Hookfang laughs. _'How did the hatchling convince you to let him jump off your back like that? I thought you were gonna fall out of the sky!'_

'_I felt like it. The hatchling likes trying to make my heart stop.'_ Toothless twists around a bit to nuzzle the top of Hiccup's head affectionately. Hiccup smiles. The villagers used to call him runt all the time, and many still do when they think no one else can hear them. Being called hatchling really should be the same, but Hiccup likes it. It holds none of the sarcasm and shame that runt does.

Hatchling makes him feel like he belongs.

'_I'm surprised the boy hasn't grown wings yet.'_ Hookfang comments. _'He was born for the sky.'_

Toothless groans. _'Please don't give him ideas.'_

Hiccup's eyes open for just a moment. "Wings." he murmurs. "Yeah, that might work."

Toothless nudges him a little less affectionately. _'Please stop trying to terrify me.'_

"Well, obviously I couldn't fly, but I'll bet I could build something that would help me glide." Hiccup says, and Toothless can already see the plans forming behind his eyes. "All I would need is some sturdy leather, like what I used for your fin."

The Night Fury just closes his eyes. _'Hookfang, I hate you right now.'_

Hookfang just laughs at him. _'No you don't. Besides, you know I'm right. It's only natural for a hatchling to have wings.'_

'_You're not helping.'_ Toothless glances down at Hiccup, only to find him finally sound asleep. A soft sigh escapes him. _'But you are right. A hatchling needs his own wings.'_

'_We'll teach him how to fly!'_ a Terror says, flitting over to curl up on Toothless's back. _'I'll bet he'll fly just like a Terror! It'll be great!'_

Toothless growls half-heartedly at him. Hiccup burrows closer into his side, seeking out the comforting vibrations. The sight makes Toothless hesitate for just a moment.

They call him hatchling, despite the lack of scales and wings, but sometimes, Toothless looks at Hiccup and the way he interacts with the other dragons and he wonders. There are legends among the dragons, of humans born with dragon souls, but they're only legends.

Still, it would explain a lot.

/-/

At the top of the kill ring, Dagur watches the caves with interest. He can faintly hear the growls and chirps and trills of the dragons, and even fainter is the voice of Hiccup. He can't hear the words from this far away, but he can hear enough. Enough to know that the runt is spending the night with the dragons, enough to know that Hiccup appears to be more comfortable with _them_ than he is with humans.

Enough to know it sounds like he's _talking_ to them, just like he would talk to a human.

He smiles to himself. If the Berserkers have a Night Fury, then they can take over the archipelago and rule all of the Viking clans. Maybe they can even reach the mainland and take over the Celts.

All he has to do is get the _runt_ out of the way.

/-/

AN: Look! Plot! *points* Hopefully that intrigues you enough that you stick around for the next chapters, where things will actually start to happen, I promise!


	7. Chapter 7

**ch 7**

The first week after the demonstration, things change. Several tribes go home, eager to sell the idea of training their own dragons to their tribes. Hiccup feels sick at the thought as he watches them leave. They'll be back before too long, ready for tips and their own training, and Hiccup will be the one expected to teach them. After all, he's the one who tamed a Night Fury.

Unfortunately, most of the tribes stay to get better acquainted with the idea of dragons as _pets_. Those tribes include the Berserkers and the Celts.

Sometimes, Hiccup really hates his luck.

The group of teens have appropriated the old kill ring as a training ground. It's cloudy, cold, and Hiccup wishes he was anywhere than right in between a pissed-off Fishlegs and a ruffled Snotlout. Astrid leans against Stormfly, watching the argument with interest, while the twins are on the other side of the kill ring having a staring contest. Or something. Sometimes Hiccup thinks it best to just not ask.

"I don't know what you're talking about – clearly, _I'm_ the better trainer!" Snotlout bragged.

Toothless huffs. _'Is that what they're calling it these days?'_ he mutters.

Hookfang nudges him, a raspy chuckle escaping the Nightmare. _'Let him have his delusions. They make him easier to manage.'_

That makes Stormfly laugh. _'So who's training who here?'_ she asks, voice laced with amusement.

Hiccup doesn't get the chance to follow the rest of the conversation. Now Fishlegs is in Snotlout's face, and the bigger boy looks ready to start throwing punches. Snotlout grabs the front of Fishlegs' tunic, and Hiccup takes a step forward, eyes wide. "Come on, guys, enough!" He reaches out to push them apart (or rather, to try and put himself between them before someone got hurt), but he never makes it that far.

Snotlout shoves him hard enough to knock him to the ground. Hiccup grunts at the impact, but he brushes it off. Behind him, the friendly teasing between the dragons has stopped. In fact, all conversation has stopped. He and Snotlout are now the official focus of everyone's attention. Toothless growls low in his throat, but Hiccup ignores him for the moment. He pushes himself to his feet before rounding on Snotlout and Fishlegs.

"Really guys? You're gonna fight about who's the better trainer when we haven't even been at it for that long?" he snaps. "How would you know whose better when no one is any good at it?"

"Except you." Astrid says pointedly. "You can train any dragon. It's kinda creepy."

Hiccup pinches the bridge of his nose. Toothless is still growling, but Hiccup holds up a hand, and he subsides. "It's not really training with me, okay? That's not how I see it." he protests. Astrid just rolls her eyes.

"Do you even see what you just did?" she demands. "You don't even have to try! They just like you for some reason."

_For some reason?_ That actually makes Hiccup flinch. Still, he turns his attention to Astrid. "Toothless and I are different. You can't expect it to turn out the same way."

"Why not?" Snotlout demands. He gets in Hiccup's face, forcing the smaller boy to back away and eliciting a whole new round of growls from Toothless. "What makes you and the stupid Night Fury so _special_?"

This time, Hiccup doesn't back down. Toothless's eyes flicker back and forth between his hatchling and the aggressive Viking boy threatening what's _his_. Behind Snotlout, Hookfang is just as tense as Toothless, keeping a sharp watch on the Night Fury. Something is about to change. Astrid watches the entire thing from the sidelines.

Something is different. It's not that Snotlout is about ten seconds away from punching Hiccup in the face – it's that Hiccup is staring down a fully enraged Snotlout with no fear. He's not backing down anymore or even shaking. He's just staring at the bigger boy with a look that could almost be exhaustion, and that worries Astrid.

Toothless slinks up behind Hiccup and buts his head against his rider's side, cooing softly. Hookfang backs down, retreating back to stand with Stormfly and the other dragons. Slowly, Hiccup turns away from Snotlout. Toothless huffs and walks away, Hiccup following by his side.

The dragons watch him leave before exchanging looks. Stormfly directs her attention to Hookfang, who shakes his head and huffs. Astrid watches the exchange with a small frown on her face.

Almost like they're talking to each other. Almost like they understand what almost happened.

Stormfly watches as comprehension flashes across Astrid's face. The dragon sighs. Finally, her rider _gets it. _Or at least, she's beginning to.

That could be a really good thing, or a really bad one. It all depends on where Astrid choses to stand – with Hiccup and the dragons, or with the Vikings she has been raised to become.

/-/

Hiccup barely makes it out of the kill ring before Toothless nudges him again. _'I'm proud of you.'_ he says softly. _'Finally, there was no fear.'_

That makes the hatchling smile. "Yeah, well, kinda hard to be afraid when you have a snarling Night Fury behind you." he teases lightly. "That instills the confidence."

'_One day you'll find it in yourself.'_

"I already do. I have confidence that Snotlout would have beaten me into the ground while everyone watched if you weren't there." Hiccup retorts. "I'm not delusional. I know where my strengths are, and it's not one on one combat with him."

Toothless huffs a sigh. He really can't argue with that. He bumps his head against Hiccup affectionately, and Hiccup just laughs and throws an arm over his neck. The two of them set off for the forge, but a voice stops them.

"That was quite impressive. I don't think I've ever seen you _not_ scared of that Snot-kid." Dagur falls into step next to Hiccup. Toothless snarls at him and bumps Hiccup up onto his back. The hatchling doesn't fight him, rather taking his place in the saddle. Dagur frowns at them.

"Yeah, well, face down a giant dragon-monster and suddenly Snotlout isn't all that intimidating." Hiccup says quietly. "Why are you bothering with me?"

"I told you – I want to know how you managed to tame a Night Fury." Dagur says almost cheerfully. "There's gotta be a trick to it, right? I mean, something like _you_ couldn't possibly have done that on your own."

"Kinda did." Hiccup mutters. He's out of witty comebacks. Between Astrid's off-handed remark (for some reason) and now this – he's tired of it.

Tired of being treated like less than a Viking. More than that, less than human. Dagur is just one in a long line of people who think the world would have been better off without Hiccup in it.

Toothless, for his part, is just getting tired of people threatening _his hatchling._ He's not afraid of this snot of a Viking, and he's going to keep him away from Hiccup if it's the last thing he does. As suspicious as they are of the Celts, Dagur Toothless just hates. He snarls at the boy again, trying to drive him away.

Dagur laughs. "Oooh, a feisty one. Sure you wouldn't rather come home with me?"

'_I'd rather be skinned alive with a blunt knife.'_ Toothless growls.

Hiccup chokes on a laugh. "I'm going to take that as a no." he tells Dagur. "Leave my dragon alone."

Dagur just smiles at him. "Oh, he won't be your dragon for much longer. Not if I have my way about it." he says quietly. "See you around, Hiccup." With that he walks away from them, whistling a little as he makes his way back to the Great Hall. Hiccup and Toothless watch him go, the dragon growling lowly the entire time.

Hiccup breaks the silence. "That was emphatic."

'_I meant it.'_ Toothless growls.

"I know you did. I'm just surprised, that's all." Hiccup nudges him gently. "I wonder how far Dagur will go." he muses. "The Berserkers are one of the more influential tribes."

'_Let him try.'_ Toothless mutters darkly. _'I look forward to biting his head off.'_

Hiccup just laughs. Together the two of them make it back to the forge where Hiccup has been working on his flight suit in between projects with Gobber. He's been teaching the smith how to make saddles. He did pretty well with Toothless's tail fin, but the saddle he wears is still the original. Gobber couldn't figure it out, and the leather hadn't been that badly burnt during the fall.

Something makes his scales crawl, and he looks over his shoulder. The Celt woman stands there, smiling at the two of them. Toothless bares his teeth in a silent snarl before following Hiccup into the forge.

Raelynn laughs silently. Tonight, she'll make her move. Tonight, Hiccup will be hers.


	8. Chapter 8

**ch 8**

Between the Celt woman, Dagur, and Snotlout, Toothless is starting to come to a conclusion he'd rather not reach. It's not that he has any particular emotional ties to Berk, but he knows his hatchling does, and what may be coming will break his heart.

But Toothless is nothing if not determined. He can feel the hostility growing around them, and if it comes down to it, he will do what it takes to protect Hiccup.

If things don't improve, if he believes his hatchling's life is in danger, he will leave Berk and take Hiccup with him.

He keeps those thoughts to himself during dinner. The hatchling is disturbed enough as it is without adding further stress. He holds a quiet conversation with his father, mostly about Snotlout in the ring. To be more accurate, the boy listens silently as his father tells him that he has to learn how to deal with boys like Snotlout, who are full of hot air. Hiccup simply rubs his arm during the speech, and suddenly Toothless just can't take it anymore. He growls, low in his throat. The sound silences Stoick.

"What is his problem?"

Hiccup shrugs. "He just really doesn't like Snotlout." he says quietly. "He doesn't think I need to play nice with a bully."

Stoick shakes his head. "I know it feels like it sometimes, but Snotlout really isn't a bully, son."

Toothless snorted. _'Seriously? Then what would he call it?'_

The Night Fury's indignation on his behalf seems to give Hiccup some confidence. Or maybe he's just as tired of it as Toothless is. For whatever reason, he simply rolls his eyes. "Dad, remember those times I'd come home covered in bruises? And I told you that I'd fallen down or whatever?"

"Yes."

"Those were times when Snotlout beat the crap out of me."

For a long moment, there was silence. Stoick stares at his son with something like horror. Hiccup refuses to look up from his plate. "Hiccup – you came back one night with a broken arm."

"Yeah. He got pretty rough that day." Hiccup glances over at Toothless, who has finally ceased growling. The look on his face, however, is not reassuring. He reaches out and places his hand on the dragon's head, drawing his attention back to the present. "I'm fine, bud. Honest."

Stoick processes that bit of information, then nods to himself. "I'll be having a word with Snotlout and his father tomorrow. You might want to make yourself scarce."

Hiccup looks up abruptly. "You believe me?"

"Of course I do." Stoick doesn't sound offended. If anything, he sounds angry with himself. "I wasn't the best father to ya, but I'm gonna make up for that, son. I don't know if it will help, but there will be words. No one hurts my son and gets away with it."

"And what if it doesn't help?" Hiccup can't help but ask.

"Then I give Toothless permission to eat him."

Toothless perks up considerably. _'Can I eat him just to spare us all the trouble?'_

Hiccup places his face in his hands to hide his smile. "Why do you keep telling him that? One day he might actually eat someone, and then you won't even be able to get mad at him."

"I wouldn't want to. He eats someone, that means they were threatening you. I'm okay with that." Stoick says with a grin.

"In that case, can I give him permission to eat Dagur?" Hiccup pleads. "He's the one that's gonna cause trouble, not Snotlout."

"Yeah, but Snotlout's not a leader of a tribe." Stoick points out, laughing by now. Even Hiccup has to chuckle a little. Stoick stands up. "Well, I'm off to bed. Got a whole day of cheifin' to look forward to tomorrow."

"I'm gonna stay up a little later with Toothless." Hiccup says. "The other tribes have him on edge."

"And you as well." Stoick reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, son. Nothing is happening on this island without my say-so."

"Thanks, Dad."

/-/

They sleep peacefully that night. Toothless figures his main worries will begin in the morning; that's when Stoick will have words with that Snot-kid, and if anything is going to happen, it will happen after the talk. Dagur probably won't cause any trouble until later, and Toothless doesn't have a clue what the Celts are up to. So he sleeps without worries, his ears carefully tuned to his hatchling's even breaths.

It's not the creaks of wood that wakes him. After all, Stoick often comes up to the room and checks on his son. So no, the creaking wood doesn't wake him up.

No, it's the fact that Hiccup suddenly stops breathing that brings Toothless from sound asleep to wide awake in less than a second.

There's a sword at Hiccup's throat. Three Celt men stand in the room, one with the sword, the other two with their own weapons pointed at Toothless. The dragon barely notices the men. His eyes are locked onto that sword. _'Hiccup. Breathe.'_ he says softly, a growl starting low in his throat. Hiccup takes a shallow, shuddering breath.

"Hello, Hiccup." a female voice says softly. The Celt woman steps out of the shadows. Toothless snarls and starts to lunge, but Hiccup holds up a hand, stopping him. The woman smiles. "You're just as good as your reputation says. Hiccup the dragon tamer. I wonder, though, if _taming_ is really the right word."

Toothless snarls. _'Hiccup, stay still.'_

"No." Hiccup says instead, his voice still incredibly soft, and Toothless can't tell who he's actually talking to. "Who are you?"

She smiles. "My name is Raelynn, but that's not important. The chief is busy with other work, so don't expect him to come to your rescue. Or your Night Fury. My men will kill you if he moves."

Hiccup just looks at her. "It was never about Toothless. You want me." That elicits another round of Toothless snarling at Raelynn, and Hiccup once again raises his hand to stop him. The blade bites into his throat, and he flinches a little at the sharp pain. Nothing he does can stop the soft whimper from the dragon.

'_I don't care what this is about.' _Toothless begs. _'Just let me at them. I can stop them before they hurt you, you know I'm fast enough.'_ Hiccup's gaze flickers from Raelynn to the guards on Toothless before returning to the woman, a silent message Toothless understands too well. He snarls. _'No! I'm supposed to protect you, not the other way around, hatchling!'_

Raelynn's smile grows wider. "You're a smart one, too. That's good. I'll make you a deal, Hiccup of the dragons – let my men tie you up, and we won't kill your Night Fury. If you put up a fuss, though, we'll have to gut him."

Hiccup can't suppress the full-body shiver at that thought. The blade cuts a little deeper into his skin. "You can't take me without taking him." he says. "Toothless will follow you – that's assuming the other dragons don't kill you before you make it off the island."

"That won't happen." Raelynn says. "I'll kill them all first."

Hiccup's gaze takes in everything. He knows she won't stop until she gets what she wants. He knows she will kill Toothless if she thinks it will help.

"Toothless. Kill them."

'_With pleasure!'_

And the dragon attacks.


	9. Chapter 9

An: The funny thing about this story is that it was only supposed to be maybe five chapters with a simple plot. Let us all sit back and laugh as we begin reading chapter nine.

Oh, and remember how I said there would be no spoilers for HTTYD 2? There will be for the characters. Not for the plot.

**ch 9**

The meeting is a small one, thankfully. The last thing Stoick wants is to advertise the fact that that his son was bullied most of his life and he never knew. However, Spitelout called this meeting, in the middle of the night no less, and Stoick already has a pretty good idea what it's about.

"The runt is holding out, Chief." Spitelout says. "He's not teaching my boy everything he knows."

Stoick pinches the bridge of his nose. "Why should he, when Snotlout has done nothing but torment him for most of his life." he points out. "From what I understand, Hiccup is teaching the kids the same way he learned – very slowly."

"My boy doesn't need to go slow!"

He's beginning to think it might be easier on everyone if he just lets Toothless eat both of them. Then there might be peace for his family for a while. "Listen, the dragons are Hiccup's responsibility, and I'm not going to interfere with the way he chooses to teach the others. That's his decision."

"And I won't have him – "

Whatever Spitelout is about to say is cut off by the sound of a Night Fury's cry. It sends chills down Stoick's spine, and without a word to his cousin, he's out of the Great Hall and down the path to his house. The dragon's shrieks do not cease – whatever has him in an uproar is clearly still in the house. That thought alone has him running faster than he ever thought he could.

He practically breaks down the door when he realizes the screams have stopped. "Hiccup!" He runs up the stairs to Hiccup's room, throws open the door, and freezes.

There are three bodies scattered on the ground. Two of them have had their throats torn out – clearly the dragon's work. The third has been stabbed repeatedly. But it's the boy and dragon that have Stoick's complete and undivided attention.

They have the Celt woman backed against the wall. Toothless has bloodied teeth bared in a snarl, but it's his son that sends more chills through Stoick. He's crouched down on top of Toothless's back, bloodied knife raised, hands and face smeared with the Celt man's blood. He's snarling just as Toothless is, and for a brief terrifying moment, Stoick can't see his son. All he sees are two dragons who are fighting for their lives.

If Stoick speaks, they might turn on him out of instinct. If he doesn't, he's positive they will kill the Celt woman. Slowly, he takes a step forward.

"Hiccup."

His voice is quiet, but both boys attention snap to him. Toothless growls, but Hiccup places his free hand on the dragon's head, calming him. Toothless returns his attention to Raelynn. "Dad." the boy says quietly. "Can you get her out of here? I don't think you want to see what Toothless is gonna do to her." The dragon growls, and Stoick can hear the tell-tale sign of a plasma blast building in his throat. He steps in between them and the sound dies.

"Let me handle her." he says gently. He takes the woman by the arm. She allows him to lead her out of the room, unresisting. As they close the door behind them, he can hear Hiccup talking.

"I think we'd better get cleaned up before the others get here." A pause. Stoick can hear Toothless growling softly. Hiccup chuckles. "That's kinda the reaction we're trying to _avoid_, you useless reptile." Toothless grumbles. Hiccup mimics the sound back at him.

Stoick just stares at the door. He knows that, at any moment, soldiers are going to come pouring in here looking for the source of the disturbance. He knows that he's going to have to explain what he doesn't fully understand himself.

The Celt woman laughs, drawing his attention from the door. He glares at her. "What is so funny?"

She grins at him. "He's exactly what I need."

Stoick shakes his head. "Crazy woman. I'll take you to the cells until I figure out what in Thor's name is going on here."

/-/

Needless to say, the other villagers are shocked when they learn the truth.

Toothless killed two people. More than that, _Hiccup killed_. The little runt of the village proved himself fiercer when defending a dragon than he ever did when attacking them, and everyone knows Hiccup did this thinking only of Toothless.

It doesn't take long for the village to convene. Stormfly stands beside Astrid, watching as the humans gape at the sight before them. Toothless is still smeared in blood, none of it his, and the little hatchling has blood smeared on his hands and face, a thin trail leading down his throat and into his shirt.

The dragons don't have to ask what happened. They already know.

Hookfang looks at Stormfly. _'The Celts?'_

'_I suspect so.' _ Stormfly says darkly. _'Either way, it doesn't matter.'_

The Zippleback slides into place between the two of them. _'The hatchling is growing up.'_ Barf says. _'He's shed blood.'_

'_Yes, but the humans won't understand.'_ Meatlug replies. _'He fought for Toothless.'_

They fall silent as the humans start speaking. Astrid is the first to speak. "Is it true, Chief?" she asks. "Did Hiccup really kill someone?"

Another voice sounds out. "That monster has changed the boy, Stoick!" The wrinkled old man called Mildew steps forward, taking the attention away from Astrid. "I remember a time when he couldn't have hurt a fly!"

"I don't recall his life being in danger in any of those times, either." Stoick retorts.

"Then how do you explain the Night Fury?"

'_For once, the raisin has a point.'_ Hookfang says mildly. Meatlug nudges him. Hookfang grins. _'It's the truth! He should have been killed, but he wasn't.'_

'_Just pay attention.'_ Stormfly says.

Stoick looks a little flustered. Mildew uses his silence to press his advantage. "Clearly the boy is not normal. He's no Viking, not one of us! He wouldn't kill to defend us, but he'll kill to defend that dragon – the very thing we've fought against for centuries!" He turns his attention to the crowd. "I say we get rid of the beasts, before they corrupt the rest of us!"

Before the crowd can agree or disagree, Stoick steps forward. "That's _enough_, Mildew!" he snaps, and the old man backs down quickly. Stoick turns his attention to the crowd. "Go back to your homes. Tomorrow morning, I will learn what really happened here, and then I will gather the tribe and let you know as to _my_ decision." Grumbling, the crowd slowly disperses.

Even the riders leave, but the dragons do not. Instead they gather closer, judging the situation for themselves. Hiccup turns to his father. "I'm going to the river to clean up." he says. He doesn't sound upset. If anything, he sounds hollow.

Stoick takes the dragons into consideration. If Hiccup collapses, the dragons will bring him back safe. That is the one thing Stoick is sure of right now. "Okay. When you get back, we'll have to talk about this. I'm pretty sure I know what happened, but you still need to tell me. Okay?"

Hiccup flinches. He really doesn't want to think about that. "Okay Dad." He hops up on Toothless's back, and the dragons all walk off in the direction of the river.

Stoick watches them go, a sick feeling in his gut. He's always known that he drove away his son. It looks like he may never get him back.

The dragons have taken him in.

/-/

Hiccup washes the blood from his face with shaking hands. The other dragons crowd around him, Toothless close to his side as he allows the hatchling to clean the blood from his scales. Tremors wrack the boy's body, but he keeps to his task. Toothless tolerates the extra attention for a moment before nudging his hands away.

'_You just smeared it across your face.'_ he says gently. Hiccup drops his hands, allowing the dragon to lick his face clean. The tears come quickly, and Toothless licks those away as well. The other dragons coo and warble, picking up on the hatchling's distress. The sounds are comforting, and Hiccup relaxes. Toothless finishes his task and nuzzles the boy gently. _'I am proud of you.'_

That makes the hatchling smile. "No fear." he says, his voice so quiet only a dragon could hear. The smile fades quickly. "Toothless – why was she after me?"

The Night Fury has no good answer to that. He doesn't understand fully himself. He has his suspicions about this Viking child that calls all dragons friends, but those are his thoughts alone. So he gives the best answer he can.

'_Because you are our hatchling, and hatchlings are always coveted by those who do not have them.'_

Slowly, Hiccup nods. "Then I can't rely on you to protect me all the time. I have to be able to do it myself, so I can protect you."

Toothless offers him a gum smile. _'I'd say you already can.'_ He raises his wing. _'I think Stoick can wait for us a while longer. Sleep. We'll keep watch.'_

Hiccup takes the offered comfort. Before long, all the dragons have fallen asleep, the others a circle of protection around Toothless, who in turn protects their hatchling.

They will face the consequences of their actions in the morning.


	10. Chapter 10

**ch 10**

When the dragons haven't returned by sunrise, Stoick goes out looking for them.

It doesn't take him long. They're out by the river, the entire group of dragons that used to be held in the kill ring, along with a bunch of Terrible Terrors. Toothless lounges on the bank, Hiccup curled up against his side with his knees pulled up against his chest. The others are fishing – or rather, the Nadder is fishing. It looks like the Nightmare is taunting her while the Gronkle eats rocks. The Zippleback is just ignoring them all and watching the Terrors play.

From where he's standing, the dragons can't scent him – but he _can_ hear everything.

Hiccup is laughing, the sound light and carefree – something Stoick hasn't heard in quite some time. "That's not nice, Hookfang!" he reprimands, his tone teasing. The Nightmare growls at him. Hiccup just laughs some more. "No! Come on – really? That's not even a good insult."

The Nadder chirps and catches another fish, tossing this one to Hiccup. He catches it easily and offers it to Toothless. The dragon grunts and nudges the fish back to him. Hiccup rolls his eyes. "And what am I supposed to cook it on? My peg?" Stoick flinches at the casual mention of the prosthetic. Toothless growls and nudges it again. Hiccup shakes his head. "Nope. Not happening. I will throw up."

Stoick can't wrap his mind around this. He knows Toothless, at least, understands. The dragon is frighteningly intelligent. However, that doesn't explain everything. It doesn't explain why the dragons are gathered around this scrap of a boy, like protecting him is the only thing they want to do. It doesn't explain why Hiccup is talking to them like he's carrying on a conversation.

It's one thing for Toothless to understand him. It's a whole different matter for Hiccup to understand Toothless.

One of the Terrors darts up to him and hands him a stick. Hiccup spears the fish and holds it out. The Terror flames it, cooking it for the boy. Hiccup smiles and crosses his legs, letting the Terror curl up in his lap. "Thanks, Sharpshot." he says. The dragon trills happily and nuzzles the boy's stomach. Toothless huffs. Sharpshot hisses at him. Toothless just rolls his eyes and nudges Hiccup. Hiccup laughs. "I'm eating, Mr. Bossy!"

There is no evidence in the boy's eyes of the previous night. For a moment, Stoick can almost forget that not twelve hours prior, his son stabbed a man to death. Almost.

It's there in the way Hiccup leans against the Night Fury's side, the way Stormfly fishes for him, the way the dragons have always come together to protect the boy. Hiccup, son of Stoick the Vast, is more comfortable – more _at home_ – with fire-breathing dragons than he is with other Vikings. It's a harsh truth that he just can't ignore anymore.

He takes a step forward, drawing the attention of everyone. Hiccup smiles at him. "Morning Dad."

"Morning." Stoick stands there awkwardly. It's like he's been transported back in time before the whole mess with the Queen. He no longer knows how to relate to his own son, and it's all because the image of him hissing and spitting like a dragon is burned into his mind. Finally, he sighs. "We need to talk about last night."

Toothless narrows his eyes at the chief. Hiccup sighs. He almost sets aside his fish, but Toothless growls at him. Hiccup holds up the roasted animal. "Mind if we talk while I eat? Stormfly did catch it for me."

Stoick nods. At least the dragons make sure he takes care of himself. Hiccup takes another bite and swallows before speaking again. "What do you want to know?"

"What happened."

Hiccup stares down at his lap for a moment, collecting his thoughts. When he looks up, there's a strength there Stoick wasn't expecting. Hiccup has done his grieving for his actions. The regret is gone. "Raelynn wanted me. She threatened Toothless to get me. So I told him to attack her. One of her men came after me, and I grabbed my knife. I don't really remember much after that."

Stoick doesn't want to ask the question, but he has to. "Why does Raelynn want you?"

The boy's gaze drops back to his lap. Toothless nudges him with his nose, cooing softly. Hiccup sighs. "No time like the present, right bud?" His voice is barely above a whisper, and for a moment Stoick thinks he imagined hearing it. Without looking up, Hiccup speaks.

"I asked Toothless the same thing last night. He said people who don't have hatchlings are always jealous of those who do."

"Hatchling? What – " Suddenly the rest of what his son just said catches up with him. Stoick blinks. "Wait – you _asked_ Toothless? And he _responded_?"

Hiccup flashes him a small, sardonic smile. "What, I never told you I can understand dragon speech?"

Stoick feels like he's been hit in the face with a bludgeon. "For how long?"

"My entire life." Hiccup presses himself closer to Toothless. The little Terror in his lap – Sharpshot, he called it – perks up and stares at Stoick, as if knowing that he is the cause of Hiccup's distress. "During the raids, I could hear things that didn't make sense unless it was coming from the dragons. So I ignored it. I'm different enough – I didn't want to know what would happen if the village found out. When I found Toothless, he never spoke to me because he knew I wouldn't understand. I thought maybe I was imagining it."

"Are ya sure yer not?"

Hiccup shakes his head. "They talk to me all the time now. I talk with them. As far as I know, I'm the only one who understands them. So they – they kinda adopted me. I'm their hatchling."

Toothless swings his tail around so Hiccup is half-sheltered by the limb. _'My hatchling.'_ he mutters darkly. Hiccup just laughs.

"Okay, fine, Mr. Bossy – _your_ hatchling."

Stoick can't take it. "Yer my son." His voice is so quiet he's almost sure Hiccup didn't hear him, but the boy's gaze snaps back to him, eyes wide. Stoick takes a step forward, continuing, his voice gaining strength and volume as he goes. "Yer _my son,_ Hiccup. You are a Viking, _my_ boy, the future chief of this tribe. I know I haven't been a good father to ya, but that doesn't change the fact that _I'm your father._ Not this _animal,_ I don't care if you understand them or not!"

Toothless snarls. _'Hiccup hasn't been __**yours**__ since you disowned him. __**You**__ threw him away, Viking Chief, and __**I **__have the right to claim him. He belongs with __**us.**__'_

Never let it be said that dragons are not possessive little jerks. The thought echoes dimly in Hiccup's head as he stares blankly at Stoick. The chief holds out his hand. "Come on, Hiccup. Let's go home. We'll sort out this mess together." His voice gentles, a welcoming smile on his face.

All Hiccup has ever wanted is his father's approval. Once, he would have done anything to get it. Now – well, now he has conditions. If Stoick didn't understand this the first thousand arguments, Hiccup will make sure he understands it this time. He shakes his head.

"No."

By now they have all the dragons attention. Hiccup stares up at his father, not bothering to stand. The Night Fury glares at the Viking chief, growling low in his throat. Stoick glances around him. All the dragons are tense, ready for a fight, but Toothless is the only one actively threatening him. Even the Terrors have picked up on the stress.

Hiccup places a hand on Toothless's shoulder. "I'm your son, but I'm also _their hatchling_. You need to get used to that." Suddenly he laughs. "And let's face it, I'm no Viking. Or a chief. We all know Snotlout or Astrid will be made chief instead of me." Stoick flinches ever-so-slightly, and Hiccup nods. "Yep, I knew about that. Have for a while, actually. If Astrid won the training competition, you were gonna announce it after she killed Hookfang. You still should. She'd make a great chief."

Stoick swallows. "Hiccup."

"It's okay, Dad. Go back to the village. I'll be there before midday. We can hash it out then."

There's nothing more he can do. Stoick just nods and walks away.

/-/

"So – what was it like?"

Raelynn's head snaps up. Berk doesn't really have cells. She's in one of the old dragon pens in the kill ring. It's just as effective as a jail – she's not going anywhere.

On the other side of the bars stands Dagur and Lance. Her companion has his arms crossed over his chest, a small smirk on his face. Dagur watches her with wide eyes, a maniacal grin on his face. She can see where he gets the 'deranged' moniker. Slowly, she stands up.

"Be more specific, please."

Dagur grins. "Going against the Night Fury. What was it like?"

She smiles. "Terrifying."

That makes Dagur laugh. "Excellent!" With one finger, he beckons her towards him. She obliges, coming to stand right next to the bars. Dagur leans in, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "I want that Night Fury. You want its rider. What do you say me and you go after them together, and split the goods?"

For a moment, there is silence. Raelynn contemplates this. Slowly, she smiles.

"You have a deal."


End file.
